James Norwood strike helps Oldham edge seven-goal thriller against Rochdale

James Norwood’s 72nd-minute strike helped Oldham edge out Rochdale in a seven-goal thriller at Crown Oil Arena.

Jimmy Keohane netted a hat-trick for hosts Rochdale, but it failed to halt the winless run of James McNulty’s team, which has now extended to eight games in all competitions after this 4-3 loss.

Nathan Sheron put Oldham ahead after 16 minutes before a goal frenzy occurred following half-time with Devarn Green making it 2-0 in the 49th-minute.

Keohane reduced the deficit soon after before he levelled the scores on the hour mark for Rochdale.

Hallam Hope immediately put Oldham back ahead and Norwood’s smart finish from a tight angle with 18 minutes left looked to make the points safe for the visitors.

Keohane sparked an exciting finale when he completed his hat-trick with a close-range finish from a corner and despite 16 minutes of stoppage ime, Oldham held on to move up to 10th in the Vanarama National League.